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Psychoeducation to Increase Psychotherapy Entry for Older African Americans

Received July 7, 2004; revised August 3, August 25, 2004; accepted August 27, 2004. From the University of California, San Francisco. Address correspondence to Jennifer Alvidrez, UCSF Dept. of Psychiatry, Box 0852-TRCR, San Francisco, CA 94143-0852. e-mail: alvid{at}itsa.ucsf.edu
© 2005 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Objective: Older African Americans have low rates of mental health service use, particularly for outpatient treatment. This pilot study examined the impact of a brief psychoeducational intervention on treatment entry and attendance for older African American medical patients referred for psychotherapy. Methods: Before their first appointment, 32 participants attended a 15-minute individual psychoeducation session about psychotherapy that was specifically tailored for older African Americans. The rates of treatment entry and number of sessions attended over 3 months were compared between psychoeducation participants and a historical-comparison group of 37 African Americans referred for psychotherapy the previous year. Results: The proportion of patients starting therapy was equivalent in both groups (about 75%). However, psychoeducation participants attended significantly more sessions than the comparison group in the 3-month period. In 3-month follow-up interviews, participants reported favorable impressions of the psychoeducation experience. Conclusions: This brief intervention was acceptable to older African Americans and may be a promising strategy to promote outpatient treatment in this underserved population.

Key Words: Cross-Cultural Issues • Minority Issues • African Americans • Patient Education

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				W. E. Faison and J. E. Mintzer The Growing, Ethnically Diverse Aging Population: Is Our Field Advancing With It? Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, July 1, 2005; 13(7): 541 - 544. [Full Text] [PDF]